Guangzhou R&F boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst says he found his time with Manchester City valuable.

The 44-year-old former Feyenoord boss spent five months studying Pep Guardiola's methods during a sabbatical to help shape his philosophy and approach to coaching.

"Last year I spent five months with the City group and a lot of time in Manchester with Pep," Van Bronckhorst told Sky Sports News.

"He was very open. He talked about the training sessions, and I could watch and see everything and talk with his staff.

"Those are moments you can see him really in action, and he is a very special coach.

"Those months with him in Manchester, I could see a lot of things I didn't see before, and it helped to develop me as a coach.

"Pep is a coach at the moment who is influencing a lot of young coaches. And he's not the only one, Jurgen Klopp is doing a great job at Liverpool."